The Johnston County Arts Council was recently awarded a $3,000 grant from Target for the 2008-09 Artists-in-the-Schools program year. In a gesture of continued commitment to the Artists-in-the-Schools program, Target has contributed $18,000 since 2002. Recognizing their proximity to Johnston County, Target at White Oak Crossing feels strongly about giving back to the community where it does business. “We are proud to partner with organizations like the Johnston County Arts Council to inspire education, make the arts affordable and accessible, and foster safe families and communities nationwide,” says Laysha Ward, Vice President of Community Relations.

This grant is part of ongoing efforts by Target to strengthen families and communities throughout the country. Since opening its doors, Target has given 5 percent of its income to organizations that support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism. Today that translates to more than $3 million every week

Available for all students grades K–12 at each of Johnston County’s 41 public schools, the Artists-in-the-Schools program focuses on using the arts as a tool for learning and cultural enrichment. Supported by a strong community partnership between JCAC and the Johnston County Schools (JCS), over $1,000,000 has been raised since the program’s start in 1999. Through public, private, corporate, and individual support, the Artists-in-the-Schools is able to utilize the arts to reinforce and expand basic curriculum through exposure to performances, hands-on workshops, and residencies with professional artists.

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The next performance scheduled for the Music for the Lunch Bunch series is Thursday, July 24th at 12:15pm at First Presbyterian Church in Smithfield. Dara Edwards will perform on piano and Greg Honeycutt will present several vocal pieces.

Dara Moore Edwards received a Bachelor of Music degree in Piano Performance from UNC-Greensboro in 1980. She has taught piano in the Clayton area for 28 years. She presently has a studio in the Riverwood Cultural Arts Center. In addition to teaching, she is the Music Director at White Oak Baptist Church in Archer Lodge.

Greg Honeycutt, Baritone, is a native and resident of the Benson area.  Read the rest of this entry »

From the Downtown Clayton Blog:

The Craig Woolard Band returns to Clayton to perform at the Clayton Town Square Concert Series on Thursday, July 24 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm. With the classic style of Ray Charles, the dynamics of Marvin Gaye and Rod Stewart, the soul of James Brown, the vocal prowess of Steve Perry of Journey, combined with the passion of Sam Cook and Michael McDonald, you have “The Soul Man of Beach Music”, Craig Woolard!

As the ambassador of Beach Music, Woolard enjoyed a stellar 27 year career as the front man of one of Carolina’s premiere bands, the Embers. His new band, The Craig Woolard Band, in their first year out in 2005, was honored as ‘GROUP OF THE YEAR” , while Craig walked away with Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist, Best Smoothie Song, and Song of the Year.

The Clayton Town Square Concert Series is presented by the Clayton Downtown Development Association. All concerts begin at 7:00 pm and the remaining concerts will feature Breakfast Club on August 7 and a Battle of the Bands on September 18.

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The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts, designed to restore reading to the center of American culture.  The Big Read brings together partners across the country to encourage reading for pleasure and enlightenment.

Here in Johnston County, The Big Read is a partnership between the Johnston County Arts Council and the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield.  The book that Johnston County will be reading during The Big Read will be To Kill a Mockingbird. The event will last one month and consist of many different community events, including: a kick-off event to launch the program locally, book discussions, keynote speakers, exhibits, film screenings, theatrical readings, and others.

The Big Read will rely on partners around the county to insure the program reaches every resident of Johnston County during the month of February 2009. Schools, churches, community centers, cultural centers, restaurants, retail stores, industries, local government, civic clubs, Chambers of Commerce, and the media – all will be asked to promote and help communicate the message of The Big Read.

This program is wide in its scope and there will be many opportunities for volunteers to help. Volunteer activities can include planning and assisting with special events and community programs, marketing, dispersing posters and reader’s guides, preparing books, filing, preparing mailings, data entry, and other duties as needed.  All ages, backgrounds, and experience are invited to help support The Big Read and the community in a meaningful way.  Volunteers can work as often or as little as their schedule or interest allows.

For more information about The Big Read and how you can get involved attend the first committee meeting, scheduled for Monday, July 21 at 6:00pm at the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, 305 E. Market St., Downtown Smithfield.

Additional information about The Big Read or the Johnston County Arts Council can be obtained by calling 919-553-1930 or emailing info@johnstoncountyarts.org.

From Art News Blog:

Here’s an interesting video that combines graffiti and animation. They don’t sound like two art forms that would easily go together but BLU proves that they do happily mix. He has some more graffiti on his blog here too.. very impressive stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuGaqLT-gO4

Caption: Representatives of the Johnston County Arts Council and the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield attended The Big Read National Orientation on June 8-9, 2008 in Minneapolis, MN. From left to right, Ruby Smith, Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield, National Endowment for the Arts Chairman Dana Gioia, and Jessica Meadows, Executive Director of the Johnston County Arts Council.

The Johnston County Arts Council and the Public Library of Johnston County and Smithfield today announced that they have received a $6,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to host The Big Read in Johnston County.

Johnston County is one of 208 communities nationwide to receive a grant to host The Big Read from September 2008-June 2009. The Big Read gives communities the opportunity to come together to read, discuss, and celebrate one of 23 selections from American and world literature. The Big Read in Johnston County will focus on To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Activities will take place from January 31-February 28, 2009.

The latest Big Read grantees represent 46 states, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. To date, the NEA has given more than 500 grants to support local Big Read projects.

“As The Big Read grant is the first time Johnston County has received direct funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, we are both honored and excited to embark on what will become the Arts Council’s most ambitious and extensive program in the organization’s 36 year history, with the goal of reaching every Johnston County resident,” stated Jessica Meadows, Executive Director of the Johnston County Arts Council.

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From the Art News Blog:

This article was interesting to me because of its controversial subject matter.  The Chapman brothers have done this before, essentially what others would call defacement, by adding smiley faces to Goya etchings.  I guess I’m ok with them doing this to Hitler’s paintings; I can see the point they are making.  However, its not cool with me that they messed with the Goya etchings - what’s next?  Putting a unicorn into Van Gogh’s Starry Night?  Let me know what you think.

Brothers Jake and Dinos Chapman have added some psychodelic rainbows and and hearts to their Adolf Hitler paintings that they bought at auction for £115,000 and are now selling them for £685,000. The paintings which will be sold as one work is called “If Hitler had been a Hippy How Happy Would We Be”

He hoped the defacement of Hitler’s work, which includes landscapes, vistas of Roman ruins and still life, which the dictator painted when he was young, would have him “spinning”. The changes they had added meant it was no longer Hitler’s work, he added.

“If hell exists and Hitler exists in it, he would be spinning if he saw these. It’s not his work any more. It’s our work,” he said. Independent

The Chapman brothers’ exhibition can be seen at the White Cube Gallery in London.

 The next performance scheduled for the Music for the Lunch Bunch series is Thursday, July 17th at 12:15pm at First Presbyterian Church in Smithfield. Camille Boone will present several vocal selections and Greta Hanks will perform on piano.

Camille H. Boone graduated from Atlantic Christian College with a B.S. in Music and received a Master of Music from Meredith College. After teaching in the Johnston County Schools for 28 years, Camille is now retired, although she remains the Choir Director at First Presbyterian Church in Smithfield. Camille enjoys volunteering with the Johnston County Master Gardner Program and singing for residents at Smithfield Manor. Her hobbies include reading, knitting, rug hooking, and raising chickens, dogs and cats. She resides in Smithfield with her husband Tommy.

Greta Hanks is the 14 year old daughter of Jim and Lisa Hanks of Garner, NC. She is a rising 9th grader who has been homeschooled since kindergarten. Greta has been playing piano for 8 years, starting in the first grade. She is now the primary keyboardist at New Life Wesleyan Church in Garner, NC. This summer she will be attending the intensive piano camp at Meredith College for advanced young piano students. Greta is considering a college major in music. Her other interests include knitting, crocheting, and reading.

The Music for the Lunch Bunch is a series of summer concerts held every Thursday, at 12:15 pm, featuring local artists performing a variety of music, with particular emphasis on classical music.  The concert series is grassroots funded by the Johnston County Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council. There is no admission charge but donations are accepted. 

Through the North Carolina Arts Council’s Regional Artist Project Grant Program, artists from Franklin, Johnston, Vance, Wake and Warren can receive grant awards for projects that will further their professional development. Previously funded projects have included attendance at professional development workshops and conferences, purchase of art equipment to aid in the production of artwork, production of new works and production of promotional materials, such as a portfolio or demo tape. Grants are intended for emerging and professional artists in all disciplines.

Application forms are now available. Contact the Johnston County Arts Council at 919/553-1930 to request an application. Completed applications are due Friday, September 19, 2008. Grants are available for up to $1,500 and are awarded on a competitive basis.

To be eligible, an artist must be at least 18 years of age, have lived in the five county region for at least one year and not be currently enrolled in a degree program. Additional requirements and stipulations are explained in the application guidelines. Since Regional Artist Project Grants are competitive, a workshop will be held Wednesday, July 23, 2008 at 6:00 pm in the conference room of the Johnston County Arts Council, 231 East Second St., Clayton to assist artists in preparing for the grant application process. Applicants are strongly encouraged to seek assistance with their applications.

The Regional Artist Project Grant Program receives major funding from United Arts Council of Raleigh and Wake County and the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts with additional support provided by Franklin County Arts Council, Johnston County Arts Council, Vance County Arts Council, and Warren County Arts Council.

Regional Artist Grant Application 

One of my guiltiest pleasures is entertainment gossip and celebrity news.  I DVR Best Week Ever and The Soup and subscribe to MSN’s Entertainment blog.  So mixing my two faves (Celebrities and Art) is a dream come true.  You REALLY have to go and check out all of these entries-HILARIOUS! 

From Art News Blog:

The Worth1000 website is always an interesting waste of time for me. It’s a site of Photoshop contests, where artists try and out manipulate, blur, cut, transform, and paste each other. It’s people using computer software to change pictures for those that don’t know what Photoshop is.

One of their regular contests is called “Modern Renaissance” which asks contestants to put the celebrities of today into old paintings.

See all the entries over at Worth1000’s Modern Renaissance 9 contest.

Here’s some previous posts with Nicole Kidman & David Beckham, Jennifer Lopez and Nicole Kidman, and an Alien Mona Lisa.